Acclamation
August 30th 2011 10:05
A report by Frank Rodrick for RacingWrite and Thoroughbreds Worldwide. Words and photography by Frank Rodrick.
Saturday, August 27th:
Chantal won another one. She was gone for a few days or weeks, possibly in disgust after that match race with Mikey. She'd been racing the past few days and was in the money a couple of times, winning at least one. That I missed. But here she is, leading into the homestretch on Toluca, in a maiden for two year old fillies. Rafael Bejarano is working hard on Vicki Victoria, and threatens here to take the lead. But he doesn't.
Another nice finish--three horses within a length. Imagine if the World Wrestling Federation ran thoroughbred racing--all finishes would look like this. And then the jockeys would get in a fistfight at the winner's circle. We can only dream.
But there's nobody fighting here. It's good to see Chantal in the winner's circle again, and not only because she's considerably more photogenic than the other jockeys I've been shooting.
The season is winding down, which is to say it's heating up. The Del Mar Mile is a Grade II handicap with a purse of $200,000. Eight furlongs (since you ask). Favored was Caracortado, a four-year-old Cali dude who came in third in the Eddie Read Stakes a few weeks ago and has had a pretty good year overall. But here's Kiwi horse Our Nautique (5) crossing the finish line well ahead of Caracortado (2). Hey, you read it here first.
Unfortunately, that was just the first time past the line in the one-mile race. It's a short track. Sure enough, Joseph Talamo on Caracortado came around wide and caught up. As did Mr. Commons and Calimonco, all grouped together here a couple of lengths before the finish. Caracortado won, but not by much. Now that's what I call racing! WWF be damned.
Sunday, August 28. The Big Day. The day of the One Million Dollar Pacific Classic. A Grade 1 stakes, and chock full of goodies. Like, if you win it, you're in the Breeders' Cup with your $150,000 entry fee waived. Not bad. This race is such a big deal I'm surprised it's held a week-and-a-half prior to closing. What do we do now? And it's such a big deal I blew off the $250,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes. Well, not exactly "blew off". I was at the track. . . I just couldn't find a place to park. What a circus.
I don't know which horse was favored. Acclamation (5) seemed to be the popular favorite, maybe because he'd won the Eddie Read Stakes on Opening Day. The handicappers were giving Twirling Candy (10) the nod. Game on Dude (9), with Chantal Sutherland riding, was expected to come in third. Here's everyone playing according to script, except that Patrick Valenzuela is being difficult about his assigned Second Place. He's holding Acclamation in the lead on the inside, and there's nothing Joel Rosario on Twirling Candy can do about it.
Here's the finish: pretty much a two-horse race--which is a damned insulting thing for me to write. The last horse comes in about two seconds behind the leader. Two seconds out of 120--not very much at all. But it makes all the difference.
Here's what a million-dollar jockey looks like. Valenzuela hasn't had a bad year--in the money 40% of this meet--but he's been overtaken by some young guns. This had to feel pretty good.
And here's what a million-dollar horse looks like. Acclamation. Wonder what he's thinking?
Saturday, August 27th:
Chantal won another one. She was gone for a few days or weeks, possibly in disgust after that match race with Mikey. She'd been racing the past few days and was in the money a couple of times, winning at least one. That I missed. But here she is, leading into the homestretch on Toluca, in a maiden for two year old fillies. Rafael Bejarano is working hard on Vicki Victoria, and threatens here to take the lead. But he doesn't.
Another nice finish--three horses within a length. Imagine if the World Wrestling Federation ran thoroughbred racing--all finishes would look like this. And then the jockeys would get in a fistfight at the winner's circle. We can only dream.
But there's nobody fighting here. It's good to see Chantal in the winner's circle again, and not only because she's considerably more photogenic than the other jockeys I've been shooting.
The season is winding down, which is to say it's heating up. The Del Mar Mile is a Grade II handicap with a purse of $200,000. Eight furlongs (since you ask). Favored was Caracortado, a four-year-old Cali dude who came in third in the Eddie Read Stakes a few weeks ago and has had a pretty good year overall. But here's Kiwi horse Our Nautique (5) crossing the finish line well ahead of Caracortado (2). Hey, you read it here first.
Unfortunately, that was just the first time past the line in the one-mile race. It's a short track. Sure enough, Joseph Talamo on Caracortado came around wide and caught up. As did Mr. Commons and Calimonco, all grouped together here a couple of lengths before the finish. Caracortado won, but not by much. Now that's what I call racing! WWF be damned.
Sunday, August 28. The Big Day. The day of the One Million Dollar Pacific Classic. A Grade 1 stakes, and chock full of goodies. Like, if you win it, you're in the Breeders' Cup with your $150,000 entry fee waived. Not bad. This race is such a big deal I'm surprised it's held a week-and-a-half prior to closing. What do we do now? And it's such a big deal I blew off the $250,000 Pat O'Brien Stakes. Well, not exactly "blew off". I was at the track. . . I just couldn't find a place to park. What a circus.
I don't know which horse was favored. Acclamation (5) seemed to be the popular favorite, maybe because he'd won the Eddie Read Stakes on Opening Day. The handicappers were giving Twirling Candy (10) the nod. Game on Dude (9), with Chantal Sutherland riding, was expected to come in third. Here's everyone playing according to script, except that Patrick Valenzuela is being difficult about his assigned Second Place. He's holding Acclamation in the lead on the inside, and there's nothing Joel Rosario on Twirling Candy can do about it.
Here's the finish: pretty much a two-horse race--which is a damned insulting thing for me to write. The last horse comes in about two seconds behind the leader. Two seconds out of 120--not very much at all. But it makes all the difference.
Here's what a million-dollar jockey looks like. Valenzuela hasn't had a bad year--in the money 40% of this meet--but he's been overtaken by some young guns. This had to feel pretty good.
And here's what a million-dollar horse looks like. Acclamation. Wonder what he's thinking?
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